VA reports that 2.2 million active-duty military, Guard and Reserve personnel may also be at risk of identity theft due to their personal information was among the data stolen from a VA employee's laptop computer last month. From CNN.Why am I not surprised about this? From CNN.Com:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nearly all active-duty military, Guard and Reserve members -- about 2.2 million total -- may be at risk for identity theft because their personal information was among the data stolen from a Veterans Affairs employee last month.
In a new disclosure Tuesday, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson said the agency was mistaken when it said over the weekend that up to 50,000 Navy and National Guard personnel were among the 26.5 million veterans whose names, birthdates and Social Security numbers were stolen on May 3.
The number is actually much higher.
The VA realized it had records on file for almost all active-duty personnel because they are eligible to receive VA benefits such as GI Bill educational assistance and the home loan guarantee program.
In a statement, Nicholson said the VA's latest review found the data included as many as 1.1 million active-duty personnel from all the armed forces, along with 430,000 members of the National Guard, and 645,000 members of the Reserves.
I'm sorry, but I have to laugh at the absurdity and incompetence of our federal government here. Not only did they misuse personal information of our veterans through having this information downloaded off VA computers to a smaller personal computer which was then stolen, but now the VA admits that the personal records of active duty personnel was also included in this data theft one month after the theft occurred. I just don't know what to say here.
Incredible.
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